Pain. We all have concepts around pain. Learning about the recent research on pain has helped me to understand my own experience of pain as well as how pain plays out in other people’s lives.

Pain is something we get interested in usually when we or someone we know well is struggling with recurring pain. My intention for this short article is to bring some light on a different perspective of what pain is and how we can approach it from a neurological point of view, and is my understanding of pain for today. Please note, this is for educational purposes only, not a cure or a way out.

1# Pain is there to protect us: It’s a Brain Response. 

Pain is a strong signal from the Brain that ultimately brings 100% of our attention. This is the most efficient and quickest way to receive the message ‘Stop. Careful’. Research shows that Pain is most likely a response to a threat, because we have no pain receptors as such, but rather specialised Threat Receptors that pick up danger (i.e. heat, pressure, strain). Brain acts quickly upon receiving threat and chooses Pain as a response (output) to the situation. So, pain is a good thing, it is a survival mechanism.

2# Our response to Pain matters: Fear vs Curiosity. 

Let’s stay reasonable. Pain is not desirable and it shouldn’t be the normal, daily thing to be in pain (regardless of age). Also Acute Pain from tissue damage needs to be addressed. For example, when you knock your finger it hurts. Your response to that Pain Response matters, because it can make things better or worse. With Acute Pain we intuitively try to disperse it: we rub, we shake, we apply cold. Those quick responses help the Brain to get a better picture of what's happening at the site of threat (finger), and oftentimes pain goes away very quickly. It is pretty different if we follow the path of fear. For example, an ambiguous pain occurred during training or intense yoga practice. If we add fear and anxiety around it, most likely it will increase pain response. Fear around pain adds to the threat, the more threat for the Brain, the more Pain response occurs. When things like Mild Pain happen, what works best is trying to stay calm and curious, to stop for a moment, adding extra sensory input (touch, rub, massage) to the painful area. Stay curious and reasonable. Pain is so individual, so subjective and learning a mindful approach to pain is somewhat of a skill. From my own experience, I find that the Curiosity approach is especially helpful for recurring pain or injuries related to yoga practice.

3# Pain does not necessarily equal tissue damage and vice versa. 

You don’t have to be injured to experience pain, as well as injury doesn’t mean you will experience pain. Current research indicates that pain and tissue damage are not always directly correlated; pain is a complex, subjective experience influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors (biopsychosocial). While acute, noxious stimuli (e.g. injury) trigger pain, chronic pain often persists via sensitized nerves long after tissue has healed. That is why the curiosity approach to pain gives better perspectives for pain relief and resolution.

4# Pain can be learnt. This is based on Neuroplasticity. 

Often after injury is healed we can experience recurring pain at the same site that doesn’t have anything to do with the new injury. It is almost like an imprint, a memory of a pain, that is activated when the overall threat level in the nervous system overflows. You can get good at feeling pain. Mindful approach can help to break the vicious cycle of chronic pain not related to injury.

5# When in pain – move. 

Over the years, sports medicine and research on the body's ability to heal from injury has evolved. Now we know that prolonged rest can compromise tissue strength. Pain signalling can be also due to poor Maps – the way that Brain sees the body. Movement in general brings more information (input) for the Brain and can itself decrease the Pain (output). Check the new protocols for healing from injury (acronyms): PEACE & LOVE.

6# Pain is complex and individual. 

There is always Hope. There are multiple factors that affect how and why we experience pain. This article is just brushing on the surface of it. Things that could lead to experiencing more pain are diverse: poor vision and imbalances in visual system, past non-rehabbed injuries, poor communication between the brain and the joints (maps) or even unsatisfactory job. There are so many things that can be tested/retested – there is much hope up there.